How much time should a 7 day old calf spend away from its mother. I found a calf at the other end of a 100 acre pasture wandering. It's mother was at the other end of the field eating and bahing for the calf? Is this normal?
Calf wandering
- Thread starter Pharmer
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SPRINGER FARMS MURRAY GRE
Well-known member
Could be, sometimes the mother will "hide" them and go off to graze. The calf sometimes likes to "explore" and they get separated, they don't always stay where mama puts them. They will usually come running though at dinner time! ;-) :cboy:
TheBullLady
Well-known member
The calf probably laid down with the cows when they were at that end of the pasture, and the cows grazed there way across to the other end without him. As long as the cow is watching for him, he should be fine.
Kinda like the "never seen a dead cat in a tree" theory. Never had a calf starve to death if it could get to mama. Like was already said cows hide their babies sometimes, and I think sometimes hide them so well they kinda forget which clump of tall grass it was supposed to be in.
I have one cow that hides her calf. I really like to see them keep them close by. When I see one seperated like that, I drive over where the calf is and bleat like a calf in distress. The momma always comes running like the wind. I figure if the momma stays close then the calf is safer if a coyote comes through the pasture.
This past year we had a heifer we dubbed Amelia as in Amelia Airhart. Her mother left her by the single strand hotwire next to the woods. I found her 1/4 mile away after she had wandered through the woods and was exploring the property fence line. Shushed her back to her mother. This was about noon. That evening The cow was standing at the fence were the calf had in theory gone into the woods to bed down. I looked till after dark, had the neighbor kids come over and help to comb th woods, no luck. The next morning the cow was still standing at the same place bellering her head off, still no calf. I started searching agin, checked every patch of woods on the place and had given up. I looked up the hill and there stands the cow feeding the calf. I watched the little turkey, when she finished eating she went down into a deep run off cahnnel and buried herself in a huge multiflora rose. A couple of days later, another calf disappeared and the first place I checked was the MF rose. Sure enough, both of the little turds were curled up in the bush.
dun
dun
Brad B":2i2fwwfv said:
Me too. Sound like a calf and our mothers come a running. While bushhoging one day, I saw a coyote attack not 100 feet away. It had attacked the hind quarters to immobilize the calf (found out after inspection). Yelled at the coyote and it ran off a little ways. Made the calf sound and mother came running and the coyote left. I guess the tractor noise keep her from hearing the calf. Good thing I saw it.
Brad B":2wkic6ot said:
He was sore for a day or so. When the coyotes first came back to GA through the DNR (or so I was told) in the late 70's early 80's ( to control the deer population or so I was told) we lost more. The cows now seem to circle the wagons at night but they are not as diligent in the day.
That's about when they moved in over here in Northeast AL. Wish they'd move back to where they came from. We really don't have many problems at all with them. Only lost one calf that I can remember, but I still don't like them being around. They do get the cows all stirred up.
Brad B":3m0dsfi3 said:
Your close to me. We ran Commercial Angus crosses until may Dad went with Lim's in the late 70's (from Tinsley Farms down in Layfette AL). Got 20 Red Poll from my Uncle in 1999 from Morgan City Alabama.
War Eagle! or maybe Roll Tide.
Sorry for the off post.
Brad B":3fllxmwu said:
Oh, you better know it's WAR EAGLE!
Dad had X bred stuff in the 70's and early 80's, then went ChiAngus back when I was showing calves, then Limo's for a while, now back to black.[/quote]
I'll get this off the board. I'll PM you. I'm like to know more about the Chiangus.
Those Red Polls came from a Uncle who was a season ticket holder since 1957. I'll be at the Georgia game.
War Eagle.
Craig-TX
Well-known member
Herefords are especially prone to hiding their babies.
Speaking of coyotes, I'm wondering if I've got a dead calf on my hands after last night. Most any night the coyotes will be howling off and on from some direction and the occasional cow or calf will bawl. Last night they were fairly close to the house, maybe a quarter mile. There were howling up a storm and the cattle were very stirred up. At the climax one of the calves started braying like a donkey. Very strange sounds, really sounded like it was being killed. Lasted about half a minute and then everybody got quiet. Too wet to get back there and check. Would have been too late anyway. I'll be looking for buzzards today.
Craig-TX
Speaking of coyotes, I'm wondering if I've got a dead calf on my hands after last night. Most any night the coyotes will be howling off and on from some direction and the occasional cow or calf will bawl. Last night they were fairly close to the house, maybe a quarter mile. There were howling up a storm and the cattle were very stirred up. At the climax one of the calves started braying like a donkey. Very strange sounds, really sounded like it was being killed. Lasted about half a minute and then everybody got quiet. Too wet to get back there and check. Would have been too late anyway. I'll be looking for buzzards today.
Craig-TX
TXBobcat
Well-known member
Craig-TX":1o0qicu8 said:
Funny you mention that. I had the same thing happen the other day. I was in the house right after dark, and my wife was standing outside talking on the phone. All of a sudden she came running in saying something was going on out by the pens (I had two young heifers in there). Most of the other cows/calves were out around the pens also. My wife said she heard lots of coyotes and cows bawling like crazy. I jumped in the truck and drove out there, but didn't see a coyote or any cattle down. Guess the cows fended them off. They were sure milling around like something was going on. That's the closest they've came to the house lately, but I can nearly always here a pack of them sometime after dark in the distance.
certherfbeef
Well-known member
Sounds like you all need to refer to the yote wacking thread from a while back!! :shock:
sidney411
Well-known member
I had one 2 week old calf dissapear earlier this year. No sign of the little rascal. No body or buzzards anywhere that I saw. I still don't know what happened to it. I will assume coyotes took it.
Campground Cattle
Well-known member
Craig-TX":3tbkgs60 said:
Yotes are very aggressive in the fall trying to feed pups. NOTHING works fool proof hung one in a snare couple nights ago. We use a donkey works pretty good, rifle and traps. When deer hunting if a buck walks out and a coyote or dog we take out the K-9. We have a much bigger problems with feral dogs.
TheBullLady
Well-known member
We've never had a problem with a yote taking on a calf. I know there are two schools of thought on this.. one being they won't bother a calf unless it's dead or sick, the other being they are very aggressive and can take down anything.
I'm surprised that your cows get "stirred up" by the yotes. Mine rarely pay much attention to them, although the calves love to chase them when they're going through the pastures.
I'm surprised that your cows get "stirred up" by the yotes. Mine rarely pay much attention to them, although the calves love to chase them when they're going through the pastures.
